


Once in a Lifetime

by Disassembled_Deviant



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Parent Hank Anderson, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, Violence, connor and reader, goes by Nines, how to raise a android child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2020-03-06 02:35:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18841879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Disassembled_Deviant/pseuds/Disassembled_Deviant
Summary: Nines is shot in the line of duty and is on the verge of complete shut-down. In order to repair him, he must transfer himself into a child model android.Connor and Reader are in charge of caring for the specialized android 'child', along with some help from a disgruntled lieutenant, a racist detective, and a dog.





	1. At the Hospital

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! My computer is out of the shop and I can finally start writing again!
> 
> I started this one on my phone, but I hate writing on my phone, so it was really only a outline. I know there are several of these kinds of stories out there, but I haven't seen any with reader and figured 'why not?'. I made the reader female only because it's easier for me, though I intend to be as vague as possible.

Connor's P.O.V.

* * *

 

"Gavin! What happened?!?" 

 

Connor grabbed the smaller detective and pinned him to the wall with his arm against his throat, rage burning in his eyes. Gavin tried to pull the arm away as he gasped for air. Hank ran over.

"Connor, Let 'im go!"    
  


He hesitated before abruptly stepping back, letting Gavin drop to the ground, coughing and gasping.   
  


"F-fucking plas-plastic prick! Coulda killed me!" Connor knelt down, boring holes into Gavin's eyes, LED spinning a violent red. The sight of the normally friendly android looking so hostile instantly shut Gavin up.   
  


"What happened?" Connors voice was laced with the promise of retribution should he answer incorrectly.   
  


"The-the suspect, the one me and Nines have been trailing, got the jump on us," Gavin visibly shook as he cast his gaze downwards, "fuckin’ Nines knocked me to the ground as the suspect shot. I don't remember much from there."   
  


"What do you mean, you don't remember?" Connor shouted, making Gavin flinch before looking up into Connor's eyes again.

  
"I don't fucking remember! It was all too fast! I remember seeing blue and-and I think I called for back-up! I don't..." Gavin curled into himself, "I don't remember."

  
Connor glared at Gavin, grinding his teeth. Suddenly, he punched the wall, right above Gavin's head, crumbling the drywall and causing cracks to spread from it. Gavin shoved himself away from the spot, shaking as he saw the dent in the wall, a splatter of blue blood staining the center. 

  
"You better pray that Nines is alright." Connor turned away, leaving Gavin curled on the floor. Hank walked up behind him.

  
"Connor, I know your worried, but you gotta calm down." Connor stopped and turned on Hank.

  
"How the hell am I supposed to calm down when my brother could be dead! I don't even know what happened! Y/n calls me, and all she tells me is that Nines was in an accident and that they're taking him to the hospital! I can't get a hold of her and Gavin is next to useless and I-" Connor looks at Hank, fear gripping him tighter than the anger coursing through his wires, "I can't lose him, Hank." 

  
Hank pulls him into a tight embrace. Connor clings to him, pained at the thought of losing his little brother, at the thought of everything he has yet to experience, everything that life has to offer. His eyes begin to water as he chokes on a sob. They were going to go to the aquarium this weekend. It was so stupid to be thinking about now, but when y/n had suggested it, he could see a light in his stoic brother's eyes. He would never admit it, but Nines was excited to go.   
After a moment, Hank pulled back far enough to look at Connor. His eyes locked onto Hank’s blue ones, helping to ground him. 

  
"Nines is going to be fine. Y/n was the first on the scene and you've seen first-hand the work she can do. Not to mention, Nines is resilient. He wouldn't keel over knowing that Gavin would be left making a mess of his precious paperwork."

  
Connor smiled briefly at that. There was nothing Nines hated more than unprofessionalism. He was meticulous and a down-right demon of perfection at work. Everyone at the department suffered from his wrath at one point or another, though he learned quick not to be so callous with you. Never piss off the person who knows the ins and outs of your body.

  
"He'll be alright." Hank spoke softly as he pulled Connor back into a hug.

  
At that moment, you walked out of the trauma ward, thirium soaked through your jacket and blouse, some evaporating while some looked fresh. Connor let go of the lieutenant and took in your appearance, dread settling in the bottom of his core.

  
"We need to talk."


	2. Who Can Help Him?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor has to put his brother's life into the hand's of one of the people he trusts the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not trying to drag these chapters out, but my mind says they're important, so whatever. It was going to be longer, but it lined up with a chapter break, so I'm sorry.

You didn't say anything further as you gestured for them to follow. Gavin looked like he was about to get up but after glancing at Connor, thought better of it and remained.

  
"Y/n, what happened?" Connor asked, desperation in his voice. He needed to know. You continued to look down, refusing to look his way. He felt torn, the pain in his heart only getting worse. He needed to know Nines was going to be okay. He wanted to tell you that everything was going to be okay, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do anything. He didn’t even know what was going on. He never felt so powerless, so useless before. 

  
"We'll talk once we're somewhere more private." You sounded like you wanted to be reassuring, but it was too much to ask of you in this state, sounding emotionless. His heart ached.

  
They entered into what looked like a small office. A desk with a few papers stacked neatly on top along with a datapad, a bookshelf with various medical books lined the shelves, and a few leather chairs. Standing beside the desk was Markus, giving a small sympathetic smile as he nodded to his friend. In the chair behind the desk was Elijah Kamski.    
  


"What the fuck are you doin' here?" Hank asked before even fully entering the room. 

  
"Please, sit down, and we'll explain everything." Kamski spoke in that same condescending voice that Hank came to hate. Still, Hank sat down in one of the seats. Connor looked to you and gestured for you to take the seat, but you acted as if you didn't see him, you stared ahead but you weren't looking at anything. Connor placed his hand on your shoulder, rubbing the back of your neck with his thumb soothingly. You slightly flinched at the contact before relaxing into it. The repetitive motions calming him as well, if only a little. 

 

Once the door was shut, Markus began.   
"To start with, right now, Nines is in a stable condition." Hank let out a relieved sigh and Connor momentarily felt a weight lift off him, but the look on Markus' face told him there was more.   
"However, his body was damaged beyond what we can repair right now. In all honesty, I don't know how he even made it here."

  
He thought he was going to fall over as his legs threatened to give out on him. He gripped your shoulder a little tighter, prompting you to rest your hand on his. He didn’t want to dwell on the the possibilities. 

  
"Several biocomponents were destroyed from the bullets, and because Nines is a unique model with specialized parts, we can't replace them. We tried using similar parts, including parts from one of the destroyed RK800's, but they were incompatible."   
  


"Don't we have the blueprints for his model? Can't we make more?" Connor spoke softly, his voice stained.

  
"We do, but the blueprints are encrypted, and even if they weren't, we don't have all the materials here to replicate them. It could take anywhere between a couple of weeks to a month or two just to get the necessary materials, and another week to make the parts."

  
"Was it really that bad?" He whispered. 

 

For the first time since entering the room, you spoke up. You sounded so out of it, it was like listening to a voice recording. He hated that voice. You only used it when you were locked in panic and fear, running on a strange form of autopilot.    
"He was shot several times in the abdomen, and one of the shots ricocheted throughout his torso. He had a crack in his thirium pump regulator so we put him on a specialized machine that can act as an external thirium pump, and we replaced several thirium lines, but the bullet tore through his ventilation system and his artificial lungs, so he started to overheat. We put him in low power mode and currently have nurses packing ice around him, but he won't last much longer if we don't do something." 

  
"And that is when I received a phone call asking for help," Kamski smiled.

  
"What the hell can you do? Nines was made after you left Cyberlife." Hank crossed his arms over his chest, not bothering to hide his hatred of the man.    
"Well, while that is true, I'm still the one who wrote the basis to all androids, and it's my code that they continued to use to encrypt classified files. I also know where to get the needed material and can pull a few strings to get it here faster. I'd say I have a lot to offer." 

  
Connor finally sat down, breathing a resigned sigh as he drew his hand down his face. Kamski wasn’t the type to do anything if he couldn’t get something out of it.    
"What do you want?"   
Kamski smiled.   
"Nothing excessive. I merely request to study Nines and the effects of deviancy in androids. As you said, the RK900 was created after I left and with its advancements, I'd like to see just what Cyberlife was capable of. It might even help with a side project I'm working on."

  
"That's great and all, but from the sounds of it, Nines can't wait that long," Hank cut in. Markus spoke up this time.   
  


"Well, much like Connor, Nines has the ability to transfer himself between androids."   
  


"Shit, Connor, I didn't know you could do that."

  
"Yes, though he is restricted to only other RK800 models. The RK900 model was designed to transfer between most models, in the event he needs to go undercover. However, Cyberlife never had the chance to create more RK900 models before the revolution and any android that can operate independently was awakened and sent to New Jericho. As it was deemed unethical to activate YK models without a guardian, there is an overstock available. The plan is to transfer Nines into one of these models until repairs can be done to his original body." 

  
Kamski stood up, holding a microchip.   
"While in this body, I will have this installed in the YK model. It's going to record how Nines reacts and adapts to a model that is ill equipped to handle the tasks he usually performs, along with his emotional range and stress levels to better understand deviancy.  Y/n will also be required to report on any behavior changes. Additional tests will be ran as well, but we can deal with the minor details later."

  
"Can I get this in English, please?" 

  
"They're going to put Nine's into the body of a child android while y/n and Kamski observe his behavior." Connor ground out. He couldn't believe his ears. His brother wasn't some science experiment! He didn’t deserve to be poked and prodded. If it had been anyone else that agreed to this, Connor would never agree, but it had been you. Things had to be dire for you to agree with such ludicrous demands, but he trusted you wholeheartedly. 

  
"When can we do the transfer?"

  
"Connor! You're actually agreeing to this?" Hank gave him an incredulous look, voice full of disbelief.

  
"What choice do I have? You said it yourself, Nines doesn't have long, and the longer we sit here and discuss it, the less time he has. This is the only way to save him."

  
"I had Simon go down and choose a model close to his appearance. He's going to meet us in the trauma ward." Markus left the room, followed by Kamski and Hank. As you turned to head out, Connor grabbed ahold of your wrist. He stood up and pulled you in. You sagged against him, like a marionette with its strings severed, trembling. He ran his fingers through your hair as he held you.   
"There was so much blood, and all I could think was how devastated you would be if he died," you whispered into his chest.

  
"Shh, you saved him. He's going to be ok. We are going to get through this." You continued to avoid looking at him, staring at the ground instead. He cupped your chin and pulled your head up, forcing you to look into his eyes. His eyes held sadness, but also so much understanding and forgiveness, your own scrunched up in pain. You grasped onto the back of his shirt, holding him tightly. The pressure and warmth helped to melt the ice that settled in his chest. We were going to make it through this, somehow.

 

After a few peaceful moments, he pulled away. Some of the thirium from your clothes stained his shirt. He ignored it for now. Nines was going to be alright. He will not be losing his little brother. You wiped a stray tear from his face he had not known was there. Still, you were shaking even more, the adrenaline that you had been relying on for the past few hours draining away.

  
"How about, after all this, we order some greasy, not at all healthy for you, pizza, and then take a bath together?"   
You nodded with a soft smile, suddenly looking much more tired and worn. He laced his hand with yours and headed towards the trauma ward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nines will finally appear in his own damn story in the next chapter, whoo! 
> 
> I don't really like this chapter so much, but it might just be because I'm not great at dialog and am impatient. I, too, am screaming at myself, "Just get to the point!" 
> 
> Anyway, if you see any errors, as always, please let me know. If you like how it's going so far, leave a kudos or a comment. I live for them and they really help me to keep going. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Home

Connor was not prepared for what he saw. 

Nines was completely still with his chest compartment open. His thirium pump lay lifeless on the side with the tubes disconnected, now connected to a large machine next to Nines. Partially melted bags of ice were sewn about his form, with a few even in his chest cavity. He wasn't breathing, and his synthetic skin was gone. Much like Connor, Nines hated deactivating his skin. It made him feel lesser, which only served to anger him as he should not feel that way because of what he was. Still, there his brother lay, and, had it not been for the red LED circling at a lethargic pace, he would have thought him dead. For a brief moment, Connor saw an image of  himself, lying broken on the ground, blue splattered everywhere. A chill ran up his spine as he remembered his first mission, something that still haunts him most nights. The panic and dread threatened to resurface within him. Connor squeezed your hand, which you returned, a minor comfort.

  
Next to Nines, on another gurney, was a child android. It was smaller than the ones he usually saw, maybe about five or six year old. The android uniform it was dressed in read YK600, a rare and unique model in its self. It really did look pretty close to a child version of Nines. Unlike Nines, however, its LED was out. 

"This one was the closest I could get to looking like him. Most of the older models are girls. This one was custom made but nobody ever picked it up." Simon spoke softly, mindful of the atmosphere.   
"Thank you, this one will be fine." 

Hank was staring at the child with a sort of sorrow in his eyes. Connor looked back to the child and realized how closely it resembled Cole. The hair was only a little darker and the skin had freckles spread about here and there, but the face was almost spot on. Perhaps he should request a different model. Before he could say anything, Kamski spoke, having just finished installing the chip into the back of the child android's neck.

"Alright, now all we need to do is wake Nines and have him do the transfer." Hank broke out of his reverie and turned to Kamski.

"You can't do it while he's in sleep mode, or whatever?" Hank is well aware that deviants can feel pain, not quite like a human, but just one look at Nines tells him just how shitty he'll feel if he's woken up.

"Doing it that way increases the chance of corrupting his memories and could potentially crash halfway through, killing him. It will only take a minute. If you would, y/n." 

You walked up and began tapping at the screen beside Nines. The LED began to spin faster, but never changed from red. Suddenly, Nines opened his eyes, grinding his teeth as the pain hit him all at once. You quickly moved to be beside him, getting his attention by placing your hand on his shoulder.

  
"Wha- what's going on?" His voice sounded nothing like his own, replaced with the deep, metallic sound only an android on the verge of shutting down makes. Everything hurt, like his wires had turned against him. He realized he could hear a whistling sound every time he inhaled, the sound coming from his chest. He felt your hand on him and focused on that instead of his rising panic. 

Thinking back, he remembered seeing their suspect at the last minute, pushing detective Reed out of the way and being shot. Y/n showed up and began attempting to stem the bleeding. When he told her that his regulator was cracked and he was shutting down, she had shoved her arm into his abdomen and held the hole closed. 

 

He remembered her staying there the entire trip to the hospital. He was scared. It was not as uncommon a feeling that one would be lead to believe, but he had never felt this level of fear before. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to go home, with his brother and father. Y/n began speaking gently, reassuring him that he would be alright and making future plans for him, Connor, and Hank. He tried to imagine how it would be, being with his family. Then, there was a flurry of motion and he was forced into low power mode. He didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. A few stray tears fell, the weight of the situation hitting him full force. Is this it? Is he going to die? Are they waking him up so he could have the chance to say his final farewells? 

 

“ I don’t want to die.”

 

Connor’s heart shattered at those words, mirrored by the deviants he had previously hunted down. 

  
Y/n spoke directly into Nines’ ear. It still sounded a bit muffled over the static and blaring warnings, but she spoke slowly, loud, and clear.. "Nines, I know you are in a lot of pain, but I need you to transfer yourself into the android next to you so we can continue the repairs. Can you understand me?"

  
He didn't say anything, only grunting as held his arm out. You quickly moved the child's hand into his and watched as the skin peeled away from the small hand. A few seconds later and Nines arm jolted before his hand fell, his LED was out. Just before Connor could start panicking, the light on the child model circled from red to yellow, and then finally blue. He opened his baby blue eyes, looking around for a moment. He glanced down at his hands, perplexed by the change.    
Glancing over to the side, He saw his original body, full of holes with the chest cavity wide open. He had seen many gruesome things as a detective, but this sent fear throughout his core. He could almost still feel the pain, the terror, and the despair. He frantically backed away, falling off the gurney onto the hard floor. He heard someone shout his name, but he was disoriented.

  
The impact hurt. A lot. 

  
Tears burned in his eyes as he tried to fight them off. He was a detective, the best that was ever made. He shouldn't be crying over a minor fall. Why did it feel like such a big incident? What was happening to him?

  
His stress levels were rising at a rapid pace. Just as the first tears fell, he felt large arms wrap around him.

"Are you alright, little brother?"

Nines looked up to see his predecessor looking at him. Connor had been the one to start referring to him with the familiar bond when he had awakened him. At first he didn't care, but the more he associated Connor with that title, the more he came to like it. Connor was ecstatic when he had referred to him as 'big brother' for the first time.

This sudden swell of emotions felt overwhelming. Confusion, fear, frustration, sadness, and now comfort all blending together. Why does everything feel so significant? 

"No," he sobbed as he griped his brother and held him tighter. Connor held him just as tightly as tears spilled down his own cheeks, finally released along with the pent up fear. 

  
"I think we should leave," Simon spoke, "this is a lot for a child to process."

"I still need to run a few diagnostics before I can be certain the transfer was successful," Kamski began, walking back towards the child. Y/n blocked his path.

"I can handle it from here. I'll inform you if there is anything important."

Kamski stopped and eyed you for a moment before he smiled.   
"Alright, see that you do. I’ll be in contact soon."

  
Kamski left, Markus following behind. He stopped at the door and addressed Connor.   
"We'll keep you informed on Nines' repairs. Until then, he should be safe in that body."

"Thank you, Markus."

While Connor was comforting Nines, Simon turned to you.   
"I sent a YK manual to your email. I couldn’t find a manual for that particular model, but it should help if any problems arise. If you do have any questions, just give me a call."

  
"Thank you, I'll be sure to do that."

  
Simon nodded his head, said his farewell and headed out, leaving you, Hank, Connor, and Nines alone in the room. Hank had yet to say anything, simply staring at the boy.

  
"Hey, you gonna be ok?"

  
Hank turned to you before looking back at the boy. It was obvious what had him so shook up. He had taken Connor under his wing not long after the revolution, and then Connor came home one day with Nines in tow, calling him his brother, Hank had no choice but to adopt the other android into his patchwork family. He came to love his boys as they drove him up the wall, never once believing them to be a replacement for Cole. Still, seeing Nines look so much like the child he had lost, he didn't know how to react. 

  
"Hank?"

  
He had been quiet too long, concern etched into your tired features.

  
"Yeah... Yeah... I'll be fine."

 

You didn’t buy it, but it wasn’t your place to push the issue. Instead, you placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a reaffirming squeeze.

  
After another 5 minutes or so, Nines stopped crying, only sniffling every now and then. His stress levels had dropped as well. It left him feeling tired as he sank against Connor’s chest.

 

Taking one last look at the RK900 unit, you went over and covered his body with a sheet and turned the machine off. The silence was deafening. Stepping over to the two, you stood in front of Nines, blocking the view of the gurney.   
"Connor, why don't we take him home? There's nothing more we can do here and it's been a long day."

  
"Alright," Connor wiped his face on his sleeve and went to stand only for Nines to grip at his shirt. Seemingly realizing his behavior, he quickly released it and scrunched up his brow, confused. "Would you like me to carry you?" Nines looked up at him and frowned, annoyed by the offer.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own." With that, Nines clumsily stood. You couldn't help but smile a bit. The child’s voice certainly taking away any bite those words might have held. It seems you weren’t alone. 

"There's the Nines we know and love." Hank chuckled.

All four piled out of the room and towards the hospital door, Hank in front, followed by Connor with Nines trailing behind, and you keeping watch at the rear. Nines was struggling a bit to keep up, but was determined. Once in the waiting room, Gavin looked up and came over.

"What's going on? Is Nines gonna be alright?" Gavin looked down, noticing the child. "Who's the kid?"

Connor, clearly not in the mood to deal with the detective, sighed before giving a curt answer. "Long story short, Nines body was in bad shape, so he transferred himself into this child android until he's able to be repaired." 

  
Gavin was quiet for a moment, processing this new information.

  
"Well fuck! Here I was, actually concerned, and the fucker could do that?"

Connor grit his teeth, still angry at how the events transpired and certain that the brash detective had done something wrong. Y/n answered instead.

"Yeah, let Fowler know what happened and that we'll be in tomorrow morning to figure out a plan." Gavin nodded. To most, the smirk that accompanied his face could have been seen as disregarding how heavy the situation is, even Connor was pissed that he could be so audacious, but Nines has been working with Gavin for a few months now, learning more about the man than anyone ever would or should. He wasn’t being arrogant, he was relieved. 

They headed towards the door, but Nines stopped in front of Gavin, motioning him to bend down.

"You better have the paperwork filled out correctly by tomorrow or you will have to explain to everyone how you got your ass kicked by a six-year-old. And don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t apprehend the suspect."

Gavin burst out laughing. 

"Whatever you say, Cabbage Patch Dick."

 

They shared a smile before going their separate ways.

Getting to Hank's car, Connor realized they had a problem.

  
"We don't have a car seat."

  
"I don't need a car seat," Nines pouted. He was mildly surprised by his outburst. Being a child really brought his emotions to the surface. 

"At your size, you do. Isn't that right, y/n?" Connor looked over to you, as if you might have a solution.

"Don't ask me. When I was a kid, I used to ride on the floor of my dad's old truck. If he slammed on the brakes, I would hit my head on the glove compartment."

Connor looked momentarily horrified before Hank burst into laughter. 

"That fuckin’ explains a lot. One of you can hold him in your lap and I'll drive slow. We can pick one up tomorrow." Still chuckling, he slid into the driver’s seat as you flipped him the bird.

Seemingly satisfied, Connor moved to take the backseat with Nines, but not before grabbing your arm.

"Was that true?"

You nodded, "Yeah. It was only a three-seater and my brother was too big." Connor looked at you with sad eyes. "It's fine, it was just something people did. I turned out alright."

"Any chance of us going home today?" Hank grumbled from the driver's seat. Connor and you sat down and he pulled Nines into his lap. He fussed the whole time as Connor buckled the seat-belt over the two of them, holding him securely by the waist. 

 

This was ridiculous. He was perfectly capable of having his own seat. He picked at Connor's fingers, trying to remove them, but he was much stronger in this mere child's body. Nines decided to switch tactics.

"Ow!" 

Nines had pinched Connor on the top of his hand.   
Not expecting it, he let go of Nines, inspecting his hand. The white chassis underneath was visible for a second before the skin reformed over it. Seizing his chance, Nines pinched his other hand.   
"Quit it, Nines!"    
Connor held firm and put his other hand back on Nines waist. Agitated by the failure, Nines pinched both hands at the same time. He held on, much to Nines annoyance. When he wouldn't stop, Connor deactivated the skin on his hands, effectively ending Nines attempts. He started kicking his feet back, hitting Connor in the shins.    
"Let go, Connor!"   
"Nines, stop it! We'll be home soon enough!"   
"Let go!"   
Just as Nines started flailing about, you turned around.   
"If you don't stop fighting, you will be sorry when we get home."    
Your voice told them you weren't joking. You were tired and now that the adrenaline has left you, you didn't have the patience you would usually have when dealing with a child. You felt a bad after seeing the look on Nines’ face, but with your nerves fried, every harsh sound was threatening to send you into a full blown panic attack. You pulled out your phone to calm yourself.

  
Something about angering you upset Nines. He's angered you in the past and only suffered minor inconveniences, but had never been upset about it. It always felt justified, he knew he was in the right. But right now, he was upset, and terrified by what you might do if he were to continue. He sat back against Connor, wiping at the tears running down his cheeks. 

While Connor agreed that Nines needed to stop, he felt a little guilty for getting him in trouble. He ran his fingers through Nines' hair, pleased at the positive reaction when Nines leaned into it. It seems him and his brother had that in common. You often did the same for him when he had a hard day.

 

They pulled up to Hank's house and clambered out. The sun had just set and the temperature was already dropping. Nines seemed to already be affected by it, wrapping the tiny arms around himself as he shivered slightly. Connor guided him up the steps behind Hank. You were reading something on your phone, almost running into the porch railing with how focused you were. A quick scan told Connor that you were reading the manual from Simon. 

 

Hank and Nines walked inside the warm house. Sumo, having seen the child, instantly lumbered over and started licking him. Hank had to send him away before he smothered Nines with his tongue, not that Nines seemed to mind. Sumo was usually a little timid when asking Nines for attention. He assumed it was because of his stern demeanor. It was... nice... to be loved so unabashed.

 

You didn't notice that the door was open, so focused on your reading. Connor wrapped his arm around you and guided you to the couch. Most of the thirium had evaporated from your clothes, but some still remained, and he could still see its traces clinging to your skin. Glancing down, he recognized the same blue staining his own shirt. He grimaced, the sight a reminder of what could have been. He almost lost his brother today. He quickly changed into his favorite hoodie that he usually wore at home. It was Hank's old DPD hoodie, but when Hank grew tired of seeing him in the same white shirt and android jacket, he gave it to him. It had become something of a security blanket for him.

  
Remembering his promise, he called the pizza place down the road and ordered yours and Hank's favorite. It will take about 25 minutes.

"Hey, Connor, according to this, Nines is actually able to eat a small amount of food. He’ll even simulate hunger," You spoke, clearly too distracted to actually want an answer, but fascinated enough to share it. Had you known he was ordering food? He knew it was unlikely but the timing was impeccable.

"Interesting," he looked around for Nines, almost missing him lying upon the mass of fur in the corner of the room. Sumo was curled up around him, tail occasionally swishing back and forth. Nines ran his hands through Sumo's fur slowly. The sensors far more sensitive than in his original body. He felt so soft. Connor smiled and saved the image into a special folder where he kept all his precious memories. He was certain that if Nines ever saw, he would force him to delete it.

Hank sat down on his recliner and turned on the TV. He was still being unusually quiet. He had a beer in his hand, but Connor wasn't worried about that. Hank had significantly cut down on his drinking, and, quite frankly, after the events of today, Connor wished he too could have a beer and unwind. He was concerned for how quiet the man was being. Today was a whirlwind of emotion, that, there was no doubt, but Hank wasn’t usually so quiet. Matter of fact, he was usually putting up a fuss with an influx of expletives. He hasn’t dwelled in silence in quite a while.

  
Walking over, Connor sat down on the end of the couch closest to his father figure.    
"Hank, are you alright?"   
"Hmm... Oh, yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled, though it was clear he wasn't really committed.     
"Hank?"   
When it became clear that Connor wasn't going to leave him alone until he was satisfied, Hank sighed.   
"Yeah, Connor, I'm fine. I'm just... adjusting. Been a while since there was a kid here."   
Connor nodded before sitting back in his seat. "I've never had to take care of a child before. I have a few protocols for dealing with traumatized children, but nothing on childcare."   
Hank turned his head at that.   
"You can't download a program or some shit?" His words weren't harsh, even chuckling a bit at the end.   
"Not really. The software is incompatible with my model and it was never necessary to have, so I never requested for it to be converted. The most I can do is research probable outcomes."   
Hank smiled, "You want some advice?"   
Connor smiled back and nodded, excited to learn something valuable from his mentor.   
"There is no such thing as a 'probable outcome' with a child."   
Connor frowned, disheartened. Hank chuckled again before continuing.   
"What I mean is, kids are completely unpredictable. You can prepare yourself all ya want, but it won't amount to shit when you need it. It takes instinct and quick reactions to raise a kid, and yer gonna make mistakes. You can only do the best ya can," Hank was thoughtful for a moment, he was still smiling, but there was a hint of sadness in it. He clapped his hands onto the arms of the recliner before looking at Nines.   
"Course, never had to raise a man-baby before."   
"I am not!" Nines shouted from his fluffy prison. Both Hank and Connor laughed at that. You even snickered from behind your screen.

 

By the time the food arrived, you had finished reading. Having finally snapped back into reality, you felt the chill and the residual stickiness of the almost completely evaporated thirium clinging to your skin. The sensation brought you back to the back of that ambulance, elbow deep in Nines’ chest, praying to whoever would listen that he was going to be okay. A shiver ran down your spine. You got up and retreated to Connor’s room. Before turning on the light, you looked up at the tiny little dots glowing on the ceiling, the last remnants of the previous occupant. It truly was a marvel how they shined, showing several constellations as it mimicked the heavens. It occurred to you that neither Connor or Nines have seen real stars. They’ve never even left the city before. 

 

Turning back to the original task, you flicked on the light and peeled out of your shirt and jacket. You tossed them into the small trash bin under Connor’s desk and pulled on a spare shirt. 

In the kitchen, Connor was gathering plates. The pizzas were sitting on the table and he already had to bat Hank’s hands away as he tried to grab a slice without a plate. Nines’ recognized the smell in the air, but the strange rumbling in his abdomen caught him off guard. It must have shown on his face because you rushed over to him.

 

“ What’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”  

He wasn’t used to having malfunctions, let alone voicing them out loud. After a moment of silence, the rumbling was suddenly louder. Realizing there was no way you didn’t hear it, he felt a foreign emotion bubble in his chest, making his face heat up. The small laugh you elicited only made his face burn hotter, reaching his ears.

 

“ You’re hungry.” Hungry? This is what hunger felt like? He decided he didn’t like it. Still, your smile felt reassuring as you took his hand. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

 

Connor was getting you a plate when you came in with Nines’ in tow. His little brother’s face was completely flushed as he looked at his own shuffling feet. 

“ Is everything alright?”

 

“ Yeah,” You ran your fingers through the little boy’s hair, “He’s just experiencing hunger for the first time.”

 

“ I don’t like it,” Nines kicked at the ground. The rumbling was starting to become uncomfortable. Connor frowned before looking to you.

 

“ Is there a way to disable it?”

 

You shook your head. “I don’t know. The manual is for a general populous, so any of the technical aspects aren’t explained. Only way we could check is by taking him in and having his system scanned.”

 

Nines backed away.

 

“ No! I don’t want to go back!”

 

He started trembling. Connor took a step towards his little brother but he backed further away. He got down on his knee, speaking softly as he tried to calm him down.

 

“ Don’t worry, we’re not going to take you back.” Nines began fidgeting with the hem of the Cyberlife issued shirt. Seemingly, out of nowhere, Hank walked over. He bent down and took the boy into his arms, rubbing his back soothingly. Nines curled into Hank’s embrace as he hoisted him off the ground and sat back down at the kitchen table. You both stared at him in awe.

“ What? Neither one of you know what the fuck yer doin’, clearly somebody had to step in. Now, let’s eat so I can finally go to sleep and put this shit show of a day behind me.”

 

Connor took a slice of pepperoni pizza and cut it in pieces before placing it before Nines. He picked it up and criticized it with his eyes before taking a small nibble of it. That seemed to be enough to convince him, as he started trying to gobble it down.

 

“ Hey, hey, hey,” Hank pushed Nines’ plate away, “You’ll make yerself sick like that. Just take it easy.” Nines grabbed his plate back, but slowed down, savoring the sensation. 

 

“ I guess you like it.” You spoke between bites of your own slice. Nines nodded but continued to eat uninterrupted. Connor dipped his fingers over your slice of pizza and tasted them. While he could taste it, this was the closest he could get to eating. A pang of jealousy hit him, but knowing what Nines had to go through, it was quickly forgotten. You didn’t mind, but you almost bit his fingers when he tried to steal a final taste. 

 

After eating his fill, Nines began to feel tired. This was not a new sensation for him, as a recent upgrade allowed an android’s stasis mode to be replaced with something akin to sleeping, even allowing for dreams while their systems ran diagnostics and any other system checks in the background. Still, it was usually something he activated, not something that just happened. He added it to another thing he did not like about this body. He couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to last until his original body was repaired. What if it couldn’t be repaired? He bit his lip at the sobering thought. Hank ruffling his hair brought him back to reality.

 

“ I think it’s time to hit the sack, got a lot to deal with tomorrow.” Hank stood up and handed Nines over to Connor, “Goodnight kid, glad you’re alright. Night Connor, Night y/n.” 

 

“ Goodnight Hank,” You both chimed. Hank then disappeared into his room. 

 

Nines was a little disappointed that Hank wasn’t going to tuck him in. That feeling was stifled by indignation at the thought that he needed anyone to tuck him in. These childish, fleeting thoughts were getting annoying. It doesn’t matter that his ‘dad’ seems hesitant about spending time with him. He didn’t really feel like Hank hated him in this body. It was all this stupid child programming, screwing with his emotions. 

 

“ Let’s get him to bed,” You spoke softly, interrupting his thoughts. Connor continued to carry Nines to his bedroom. Nines’ was too tired to protest, actually leaning against his older brother’s shoulder for support. He couldn’t help but think how comfortable it was, pressed up against his brother. He was almost asleep when Connor set him down on his bed. 

 

Y/n rummaged through Nines’ closet, much to his distaste. Had he the energy, he might have told her to keep out of his things. Instead, she walked over with one of his favorite sweaters. It was a simple purple sweater, but it was soft and he liked the color. It was the first time he had a preference as a deviant. She handed the sweater to Connor before bending down and kissing Nines on the forehead.

 

“ Goodnight, Nines. See you in the morning.” After patting his head, she walked out. His eyes automatically went to where you kissed him, making his eyes cross. Something about it made him feel warm inside. 

 

“ Come on, Nines.” Connor began removing the Cyberlife issued shirt. Nines never held the same fondness for his own Cyberlife suit that Connor had. He found it ridiculous, wearing white in a field that often required for him to get gritty. The black button-up felt stiff and a little scratchy. Of course, Cyberlife didn’t design the suit for someone who would be able to ‘feel’ it. Nines kicked off the pants just as Connor threw the sweater over his head. He held the arm holes open as Nines slipped them on. It was so large it almost reached his feet, and he had to hold his arms up so the sleeves wouldn’t drag on the carpet. It felt softer than ever before and he couldn’t stop himself from slipping the material between his fingers. “That’s better, we’ll get you proper clothes tomorrow. Now, lets get you to bed.” Connor peeled the blanket back and Nines clambered into bed. He pulled the covers over his brother and smiled down at him and sighed. 

 

“ You really scared me today. I’m glad you’re alright.”

 

Nines smiled, “I am too.”

 

“ Do you need anything before you go to sleep?” Connor wasn’t familiar to what a child might need before bed. 

 

Nines ran a quick system check, but nothing came up. “No, I’m alright.”

 

“ Good. Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight, little brother.” Connor copied you and kissed Nines’ forehead. Despite himself, Nines smile widened.

 

“ Goodnight, big brother.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where the hell I'm going with this, but I'm having fun. If y'all have any prompts, let me know!


	4. Tastes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nines learns of things he doesn't like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, I started a fanfiction for baby brother Nines... The end.
> 
> In actuality, I had lost this chapter, and I was sorta at a loss, so I slowly tried to re-write it, and this is what I got. Now that it is done, I hope to go back to posting more chapters at a regular rate. Thank you for all y'all's patience.

The water lapped at your skin as you settled into its warm embrace. You felt exhausted, but there was no way you were going to bed knowing that there was dry blood on you, even if you couldn't see it. Connor walked in a moment later and began undressing. Even after being together for two years now, you still couldn't help but marvel at his perfect form.

 

"Everything go alright?" 

 

Connor nodded, "yeah, I think the programming is taking a lot out of him."

 

You hummed, shifting so Connor could climb in behind you. "Well, I imagine nearly dying can be a tiring experience." He huffed out a laugh as he encased you in his arms, nuzzling into your neck.

 

"Thank you… for saving him, that is."

 

You stopped washing, reaching up to glide your fingers through his hair. He'll never understand why he enjoys it so much, leaning into your touch.

"Of course, you guys are my family. I just hope Nines will be okay." Connor looked up at that.

 

"What do you mean?" 

 

Biting your lower lip, you turned so you could face him. After gathering your thoughts, you answered.

"Well, while all androids are designed to integrate with humans, Nines is the first to be able to essentially jump bodies. Kamski and I hypothesize that as Nines' programming integrates with his current body, it will sync with the system of that model and act accordingly."

 

If Connor were Hank in this moment, he was certain that he would need this translated into layman's terms and would be pissed off that he needed to tell you that after working with him for so long. That being said, he is not Hank.

 

"So, the longer that Nines is stuck in that body, the more he will become like a child." You only nodded as you avoided his gaze once again. He didn't like how commonplace this was becoming. He cupped your cheek, feeling you lean into his touch before turning back to him. 

 

"It's only a theory. It's part of why Kamski wants to study him." 

 

"Part?"

 

You shrugged your shoulders, "He said he wanted to know something for a project he is working on, but he refused to say what it was. I think he was worried it would compromise the research."

 

Connor sighed. He knew how sly Kamski could be. He didn't like that his brother was a guinea pig and he really didn't like that he was a guinea pig for Kamski. He'll have to keep tabs on Nines' repairs. The faster it's done, the better.

 

Connor took the loofa out of your hand. "Here, let me help." He could see the spots you had missed. As he scrubbed he couldn't help but wonder how you really felt about all this.

.…………………………………………………….

After lying down, Nines grew restless. He was tired, but for some reason, he could not stay in stasis. After the third attempt, he crawled out from under the blanket, almost falling off the bed in the process.

Maybe Y/n knew what was wrong. Dropping to the ground, he made his way to Connor's room, only to notice the light under the bathroom door. He could hear you talking.

 

"...humans, Nines is the first to be able to essentially jump bodies. Kamski and I

hypothesize that as Nines' programming integrates with his current body, it will sync with the system of that model and act accordingly."

 

What?

 

Nines' eyes widened. He must have misheard you.

 

"So, the longer that Nines is stuck in that body, the more he will become like a child."

 

No! Shouldn't his programming override it? Why would Cyberlife not think about that? He knew some of his more advanced features were supposed to be tested on the field, but this doesn't seem like something you wouldn't check first! He didn't want to be a useless little child! He had a job to do! He had a purpose! 

 

He backed away from the door, trying to gather his whirling thoughts. Perhaps, now that he knew this, he could stop it. He was in control of his body, not the other way around. Tomorrow, he will prove it.

 

The sinking feeling in his stomach still remained. 

 

He went back to his room, no longer wanting to talk to you or Connor.

……………………………………………………..

After the bath, you peeked into Nines' room. You could make out his form on the bed, blanket pulled over his head. Walking a little closer, you gently pulled the comforter back a bit. His eyes were closed and his yellow LED swirled at a sluggish pace. The color was concerning, but not enough to disturb him. It was probably the stress of the transfer working itself out.

 

You couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. Nines would usually wake from stasis before you could even crack the door open, his need to always be vigilant even while asleep. You softly kissed his temple, almost missing his LED as it flickered a bit before settling back to its languid dance. Connor met you at the door as you exited.

 

"How is he?" He spoke softly, watching you slowly crack the door, in case there were any problems. With a final glance back at Nines' door, you let Connor take you by the waist and lead you to his room.

 

"I think he's alright. His LED is yellow, but everything else seems normal. We'll just have to keep an eye out for that." 

 

He made a small affirming noise, climbing into bed before pulling you against him.

 

"Think we'll be able to care for him?" Connor mumbled against your cheek.

 

"Guess we'll find out," you yawned, "I think between the three of us, we can handle it."

 

Connor smiled before turning your head to place a soft kiss on your lips, "I think so too. Sleep well, My Heart."

 

"Goodnight, Love."

 

At that, you both drifted off to sleep.

…………………………………………………….

 

Hank awoke with a start, skin covered in sweat, a few stray tears running down his cheeks. The alarm clock on his nightstand read out 3:46 am. He groaned as he wiped at his eyes. 

 

Nightmares were still something he struggled with, but they had been less prevalent. His hands still shook as he climbed out of bed. He went to the bathroom sink and splashed some water in his face. The screaming was still

fresh in his mind. It was becoming increasingly clear that he wasn't going back to bed anytime soon.

Looking up, he caught sight of his tired and worn face. It was obvious what triggered his reoccurring nightmare, but he couldn't blame Nines. It's not like he chose to become a kid, let alone look like Cole. Still, he needed to get his shit together.

 

God, he needed a drink.

 

He was about to head to the living room when he heard the sound of sniffling. It came from Nines' room. He walked over, trying to decide between knocking and bursting in. He decided on both, knocking softly before slowly opening the door.

"Hey, you alright, son?" He could make out the red LED and flicked on the lightswitch. Nines was sitting up, cheeks flushed a deep blue as tears ran down his face.

 

"N-no…" Hank walked over and noticed another problem. Nines wouldn't look at him, curling into himself. Hank must be disgusted. Instead, he felt strong arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him close.

 

"It's alright, everyone has accidents." Hank's voice rumbled. Nines could feel the vibrations against his head.

 

"I'm not supposed to have accidents!" He sobbed, "I-I'm supposed to be efficient! I'm supposed to be useful!" 

 

"Hey, hey, don't talk like that. Come on, let's get you cleaned up, then we can talk."

 

Hank led Nines down the hall to the bathroom and started to run him a bath.

"Alright, you stay here, I'm gonna get ya a change of clothes."

 

Nines sat down on the rim, still crying softly. Did he really have so little control of this body?

 

Hank was heading to Nines’ room when Connor opened his door. Despite the pseudo-grogginess, Connor still looked apprehensive.

 

“I heard crying.”

 

Hank waved him off, “Yeah, don’t worry, I got it. Go back to bed.”

 

“I don’t require sleep, unlike you. You should-”

 

“Dammit, Connor, I said I got it. Now get the fuck out of here.” 

 

Connor sighed before nodding.

“Alright. Goodnight.”

 

“‘Night.”

 

With Connor gone, Hank went and grabbed another sweater from the closet, this one with a picture of a kitten on the front, a gag gift from Gavin. He also grabbed a pair of shorts with a drawstring. Bundling up Nines’ sheets, he tossed them into the washer as an after-thought before returning to the

bathroom.

 

Inside, Nines had his sweater pulled over his head, struggling to remove it.

 

“Hey, careful!” Hank caught him just as he stepped on the sleeve, tumbling forward. “Here, lemme just-” He grabbed the back and yanked the sweater off, “There.”

 

Nines still had tears rolling down his cheeks, trying to stifle his sniffling. 

He climbed into the tub, the water was pleasant and, at some point, Hank had stolen some of Y/n’s bath soap, the bubbles

clinging to his skin as the smell of strawberries wafted throughout the air. Hank took a hand towel and gently washed the tears from his cheeks.

 

After soaking in the tub for a while, Hank helped to dry him off and dress him. The shorts fit more like pants, the drawstring the only thing holding them to his small frame. While Nines had stopped crying, his eyes still glistened with unshed tears. He felt mortified, disgusted, and incompetent. Most of all, he felt fear, still lingering from the dream that had awoken him and undoubtedly caused his accident.

 

One by one, they had left him. Hank, Connor, Y/n, Gavin, all tired of caring for such a useless existence. Even Sumo had left him. He tried to run after everyone, but he tripped and fell, left alone in the dark. It was so cold. Everything hurt, as it had felt in his original body. 

 

A few tears fell as Hank lead him to the living room. They sat in silence on the couch for a few moments, Hank waiting for Nines to start talking and Nines not knowing what to say. When it was becoming clear that they were at a stalemate, Hank sighed heavily.

 

“Ya know, every human was, at one time, just a kid.”

 

Nines stared at him as if he were an idiot.

 

“What I mean is, we all learned a lot when we were kids. What we liked and didn’t like. What made us happy or scared. Most importantly, we learned what really matters, and who really matters.” Hank ruffled the child’s hair, earning a small smile. “Yer gettin’ a chance no other android ever had before. Sure, a lot of it is going to be confusing as shit, and some of it will suck ass, but I guarantee it will all

be worth it in the end.”

 

“But I’m just a hindrance in this body, and Y/n said I’m only going to become more like a child."

 

“When did she say that?”

 

Nines looked down. “I overheard her and Connor talking in the bathroom. She said that there’s a chance that this body’s program will meld with mine and make me behave more like a child.”

 

Hank scratched at his beard. “Well, I don’t know nothin’ 'bout that, but what I do know is that you are not, and will not, be a hindrance and you are not useless. There’s nothin’ wrong with leaning on the people who care about you from time to time, trust me, I know. Connor taught me that, and thanks to him, I have a family again.”

 

Nines didn’t look convinced. “What if they can’t fix me? What if… what if I’m stuck like this permanently?”

 

Hank gave a soft smile. “I guess that means we’ll have to buy you a smaller desk for your room.”

 

Nines looked at Hank for a second before throwing himself against his chest. Hank instinctively wrapped his arms around the boy, running a hand soothingly up and down his back.

 

“Thank you, Dad, ”  Nines managed to croak out.

 

Hank’s heart broke at the name he hadn’t been called in so long. A part of him never wanted to hear it again. He didn’t deserve it. It was Cole’s word, and nobody could replace him. He couldn’t just tell Nines not to call him that. It wasn’t him. He deserved a father that cared for him, and dammit, he may not deserve this second chance, but Hank will be damned if he won’t at least try to step up to the plate.

 

They stayed like this until the sun began to rise. Hank had shifted so he was laying on his back, Nines lying on his chest. Both were asleep by the time Connor had woken up from his internal alarm clock and began to make coffee. He smiled as he saved another photo to the album in his head. He left them in peace as long as he could, letting Sumo out and getting him fresh food and water. 

 

You stumbled into the kitchen before Connor finished making you a cup of coffee, offering it to you before pointing to the scene in the living room. A smile graced your face as you took a sip. Setting the cup down, you began looking through the cabinets. Connor gave you a look until you pulled out a bag of pancake mix and mini chocolate chips. He had procured them some time ago to surprise you with breakfast in bed. You set to work on making breakfast, setting up a separate pan for bacon and eggs. It wasn’t long before the house smelled heavenly. 

 

Nines woke up, feeling that discomfort again from last night. How many times a day will he have to deal with this? Realizing what, or rather, who he was on, he clambered off Hank, accidentally waking him in the process. The old man sat up groggily before following the delicious smell to the kitchen, Nines in tow.

 

“The fuck?”

 

In front of one seat was a tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and eggs on a smaller plate set to the side, and a cup of coffee. On the other side was a much more modest portion, silver dollar pancakes next to one egg and one piece of bacon. You set down a bottle of syrup just as they settled into their respective seats.

 

“What’s the occasion?” Hank spoke, poking at the bacon skeptically. 

 

"Shut up and eat," was your response as you helped Nines with the syrup lid. 

 

After watching Hank cut into his pancake with his fork, Nines replicated the movement, albeit a bit more sloppily, before taking a bite. It was much different from the pizza last night. It was light and fluffy, something he enjoyed the feeling of. Its flavor reminded him of the hug he had gotten last night, so soothing. His mind told him this was what sweet was. Unlike his brother, he didn't taste food, believing it to be frivolous. Now he understands what he had been denying himself.

 

“What’s wrong?” You were looking at him with concern. He blinked and felt the tears rolling down his cheeks. He quickly wiped them off.

“Nothing, it’s just really good.” He took another bite. You smiled as you wiped off some stray syrup from his cheek with a wet napkin.

 

“I’m glad you like it.”

……...

 

After breakfast, Connor helped Nines get dressed back into his Cyberlife uniform while you and Hank got ready to go.

 

“It’s only until we go shopping this afternoon.”

 

Nines nodded but pouted a little. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as his sweaters had been. The material was scratchy, irritating his skin. Connor left Nines to get dressed himself. He kept pulling at the material, trying to get it off the more sensitive parts of his skin. Giving up, He sat down on the couch as he waited to leave.

 

Heading into the precinct, all eyes were on the child currently in Connor’s arms. After holding him in the car, it was easier just to carry him, much to Nines’ protests. Ignoring the blatant stares, you made your way to your office, deciding to gather some first aid equipment along with your laptop.

 

Nines hadn't realized how cold it was in the DPD building. The shorts were not helping. This stupid outfit was completely impractical. He covertly pressed against his brother, trying to keep warm.

 

 Connor and Hank went straight to Fowler’s office. Connor was about to knock when Hank strode right in. At this point, Fowler wasn’t even surprised. What did surprise him was the bundle in Connor’s arms.

 

“I got the report from Gavin, but I hadn’t imagined it was this bad.”

 

“It’s only until his body can be restored,” Connor spoke as he sat down.

 

“Do we have any idea when that could be?”

 

“I haven’t officially received a date, but the last time estimate I received was about two weeks.”

 

Fowler sighed, “I don’t have two weeks to wait. Now that the suspect has added attempted murder of an officer, an  _ android  _ officer, to their plethora of crimes, I got the media up my ass to catch the guy. I have no choice. Connor, you’re now assigned to work with Gavin.”

 

“What?!?” The trio barked out at the same time.

 

“No! This is my case!” Nines cried out.

 

“With all due respect, Captain, I cannot work with Gavin! His brash behavior is going to get someone killed!” Was his brother's accident not enough to prove this?

 

“I don’t want to hear it!" Fowler shouted, silencing the duo, "Nines, you cannot complete your duties in your current state! Until your body is repaired, you’re on leave. Connor, you  _ will  _ work with Gavin or you  _ will  _ hand in your badge, it’s as simple as that!”

 

Connor looked like he wanted to say more, but he bit his tongue. As much as he hated Gavin, he loved his job.

 

“This is bullshit, Jeffery! Gavin already tried to kill his brother, and now you expect ‘em to work

together?”

 

“I don’t have a choice! I’m already down an officer and I need someone who can access Nines’ files and information. Hank, I’ll let you oversee the entire operation.”

 

Hank grumbled but couldn’t think of a way out of this. Connor leaned back in his chair, defeated. “What are we going to do with Nines? He needs someone to watch over him.”

 

“Can you get him a baby sitter?” The suggestion rubbed Nines much like his stupid uniform. It added to the unpleasant feeling bubbling in his chest.

 

“No, we have a deal with Kamski where either I or Y/n have to watch him for research purposes.”

 

Fowler contemplated his words for a few minutes.

 

“Alright, as long as it doesn’t become a major distraction, Nines can stay either in the bullpen with you or in Y/n's office. Now, is there anything else?”

 

“Yes, we need to get some supplies.”

 

Fowler threw up his hands, exacerbated, “It can’t wait until after work?”

 

“I don’t know how long it could take or what exactly we need. Y/n has read the manual, but neither of us have any long-term experience with children."

 

Drawing is hand down his face, Fowler pointed at Connor. “Alright, but I expect you all back here early tomorrow morning to work on the case. Hank, have Gavin debrief you. Dismissed.”

 

It was clear that even if they had more to say the captain was having none of it. Heading towards their adjoined desks, Connor was surprised to see you talking to Gavin. The dull burn of anger still lingered, but he did his best to ignore it. He will have to be… professional. This is probably the first time that word has ever felt like a curse, leaving his mind with a bitter taste.

 

 Gavin was whispering, eyes shifting around to make sure nobody was listening. You smiled and nodded your head. It was a simple interaction, but it was enough to stoke up the coals in his chest. For a moment, Connor wondered if it would be considered

inappropriate to kick Gavin’s feet from under him, but he knew the answer to that. He also wondered what he could have said to make you smile like that.

 

“What are you two talking about?” Connor tried to sound nonchalant, but it still carried a bite to it, which you winced at. Shit. He didn’t want to make  _ you  _ uncomfortable. Before you could answer, Gavin gave you a strange, almost pleading look. You returned it with annoyance.

 

“Nothing.” for a moment, he looked upset, maybe even a bit angry, but it was quickly replaced with his neutral face. 

 

You weren't one for keeping secrets, not because you couldn't, but because you didn't want to. What were you hiding? What could be shared with  _ Gavin _ and not your lover? You changed the subject. 

 

"How was the meeting with Fowler?" Connor decided he would try his luck later, when Gavin wasn’t around. 

 

While Connor told you what happened, Gavin couldn’t help but notice that Nines kept shifting around in his brother's hold, and did he have goosebumps?

 

“What’s up with you, Tiny Tin?”

 

Nines looked up and once again saw the concern hidden in Gavin’s smirk. Nines, for some reason, didn’t mind the childish insults, even though he did not like being reminded of what he currently was. It was just the usual back and forth banter the pair was accustomed to.

 

“The shirt is scratching me.”

 

Gavin could see the red marks developing on the sensitive synthetic skin. What the fuck was Cyberlife on when they made his clothes? They must have a personal vendetta against the RK900 to keep doing this to him. You two were completely oblivious to his issue. Gavin thought for a moment before addressing Connor.

 

“Hey, let me see Nines for a minute. I got something for him.”

 

Connor glared, “Is he going to come back in one piece this time?” Even Nines was shocked by his 'easy-going' brother's response.

 

“It’s fine, big brother, I’ll be right back.” Nines fought to hop down to the floor before Connor conceded and set him down.

 

“Alright, you have five minutes.”

 

Gavin rolled his eyes before ushering Nines towards the parking garage. They headed towards Gavin’s car, a 1967 Impala. While it’s age rivaled Hank’s own car, it was in far better condition. He popped open the trunk and inside were a couple of gym bags, one of which was much smaller.

 

“I babysit my cousin about once a week or so. Kid could get dirty sitting in a white room, so I always keep spare clothes on hand. They’ll still be a little big on you, but it’s gotta be better than that shit.” He took the bag out and led Nines to the locker room. Once there, Gavin wondered if he was at an age that he could dress himself. “Do you need help?”

 

“No! I can do it!” Nines spoke defiantly. Despite it, he struggled with the buttons on his shirt. They were stiff and the holes almost seemed too small. It didn’t help that his fingers didn’t want to work right, fumbling around uselessly. Frustrated, he started yanking on them, trying everything he could to remove it.

 

"Alright, I can't watch this anymore," Gavin crouched down and undid the buttons before taking the shirt off. Digging in the bag, he grabbed a black tanktop and shoved it roughly over Nines' head. He followed the same steps to switch the pressed uniform shorts with dark gray sweatpants. They were only slightly too big, but Gavin rolled the legs up a little to keep it from dragging on the ground. He then pulled out a zip-up hoodie, holding it up so Nines could slip his arms in. He already felt much warmer, and the material was much more comfortable, even relieving the irritated patches of skin. Nines kept looking at the cartoon cat playing basketball printed on the shirt.

 

"What now?"

 

Nines only looked up at him.

"I've never looked this unprofessional at work before."

 

Gavin scoffed, "Well, enjoy it while you can."

 

"You really like cats, don't you Detective?" He knew of at least three cats that lived with Gavin, based on hair analysis from his clothes.

 

"Why? You got a problem with it?"

 

Nines grinned, "Not at all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hank: "I'm respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your parent by coming in anyway!"
> 
> If you don’t know, silver dollar pancakes are pancakes that are about the size of an American silver dollar coin. Old-timers used to order them all the time at my old job. I don’t know what is or isn’t known in other countries, so I’m sorry if this is common knowledge.

**Author's Note:**

> Short chapter just to show I'm not dead. I'm currently editing a couple more chapters and they should be up by next week at the latest. I hate when my favorite stories take so long to update (as a person who has a story they haven't updated in months... I'm sorry). 
> 
> I also have some oneshots in the works along with some smut, so bare with me as I go through my wips in my google docs. 
> 
> If you see any errors, please let me know, as I am my own editor and am a complete idiot. If you like the story, please leave a kudos or a comment. They really lighten my life. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!


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